place where you study is called ‘school’, the thing that you eat is called ‘food’. Words like home, school, food, and numerous other words do not in themselves carry any meaning. When these words are associated with some objects/ events they attain meaning and we begin recognising those objects/events, etc. with particular words (symbols).
We use symbols while thinking. The second characteristic of language is that it involves rules . While combining two or more words we usually follow a definite and accepted order of presenting these words. For example, one would most likely say “I am going to school” and not “school am going I”.
The third characteristic of language is that it is used for communicating one’s thought, ideas, intentions, and feelings to others . On many occasions we communicate through the use of our body parts, called gestures or postures. This type of communication is called non-verbal communication. Some people who cannot use oral speech, like the ones with severe hearing and speech problems, communicate through signs.
Sign language is also a form of language. Development of Language Language is a complex system and unique to human beings. Psychologists have tried to teach sign language, use of symbols to chimpanzees, dolphins, parrots, etc. But it is observed that, human language is more complex, creative, and spontaneous than the system of communication other animals can learn.
There is also a great deal of regularity with which children all over the world seem to be learning the language or languages to which they are exposed. When you compare individual children, you find that they differ a Bilingualism refers to attaining proficiency in communicating through any two languages. Learning of more than two languages is referred to as multilingualism. The term mother tongue has been variously defined as one’s native language, the language spoken by the individual from the cradle; language ordinarily used at home; language spoken by the mother; etc.
However, generally the mother tongue is viewed as a language with which one identifies at the .